The Nutro Co., a Franklin, Tenn.-based manufacturer of pet food, plans to kick off a campaign to enhance dog parks across North America this weekend. The Room to Run Dog Park Appreciation Project will bring together company associates and members of local communities to enhance and revitalize dog parks in 30 cities across the United States and Canada.

“As a company and as a group of passionate pet owners ourselves, we are dedicated to enhancing dog parks because of the benefits they bring to not only pets, but also the owners,” said Carolyn Hanigan, vice president of marketing for The Nutro Co. “Taking time to help communities revitalize their off-leash areas is an endeavor that we are eager to undertake, as it is so important to foster the human-animal bond and bring a bit of nature to our pets.”

The first Room to Run Dog Park Appreciation Project event is scheduled for June 12 at Centennial Park in Nashville, Tenn., where volunteers, along with community members, will paint benches, replace the retaining wall and participate in other improvement projects.

“We are so excited to get our hands dirty, and we anticipate a tremendous turnout by community members who come to the park on a regular basis,” said Melanie Sapikoski, sales associate for The Nutro Co. and team captain for the event. “The activities at Centennial Park will really help shed light on how important dog parks are to the communities they serve.”

Other events are scheduled at select dog parks until June 19. Volunteer opportunities vary by location and include painting fences, providing benches, picking up trash and landscaping.

Click here for a list of event locations and to find out more about the initiative. <HOME>